Female companionship - This year I think I would like a Russian mail order bride, I have some Cold War fantasies that I would like to play out - It is safe to say that that there was no female under the tree, there never is, but that just means I already have my first idea for what I want next year.
Gift cards (walmart, amazon, IHOP, Barnes & Noble, Target, etc.) - This would be one of those things that I did get and then some. Gift cards under the tree included; $50 WalMart, $50 Barnes & Noble, $25 IHOP, $25 Longhorn Steak House and $25 Red Robin.
Groceries - No groceries directly this year, usually if I do get this gift it is after Christmas and we go shopping a day before I come home, since I wasn't home that much, only 2 days, even if this would have been a potential gift there was never time to actually do it. I did use the WalMart cart though to buy some groceries and my mom did not send me back to Pittsburgh empty bellied as it were, I did have some leftovers from home cooked meals sent my way and a 6 pack of 24oz Pepsi.
Stamps - Yes, I did receive another pack of stamps again this year. Anything to keep me from going to the Post Office is a gift beyond measure.
Money - Really, who can't use money? - No cash money this year, just the overabundance of gift cards
Jeans - 36x30 (subject to change depending on how many times I go out to breakfast) - I did get two pair of jeans as well as a pair of black and white plaid pajama bottoms that I am really starting to like lounging in, maybe too much.
Socks - Of course, this is a staple every Christmas, it will always be under the tree so I might as well put it on my list every year. The first time I remember getting socks for Christmas, we were still living in my grandparent's basement (yes, I was living in a basement before it was cool for geeks to live in their parent's basement playing World of Warcraft all day, but I am a trendsetter like that) and we were opening gifts. I greedily grabbed one of my presents and tore into it, as kids will do. I ripped the paper off an was sitting there with nothing but two tiny handfuls of wrapping paper. I was all upset, I had been tricked by Santa, a package with nothing. What I failed to realize was that, in my mad dash to rip open the package, I did not see the socks that flew out of it, and up over my head, landing behind me.
Shoes - 9 1/2 - I did get a pair of shoes, I have not worn them yet though. Usually I am good for burning through a pair of shoes in just a few months, but the last pair I bought, some Sketchers at DSW Warehouse, have actually held up quite admirably so far so I haven't had the need to wear the new ones yet.
Trash bags - Another staple of my list, I did get another box of trash bags this year
Floor lamp - This would be the gift that my mom said was too bulky to wrap (see previous blogs about this, or my Facebook feed). I was hoping that the unwrapped present would be the mail order bride, but I can't have everything, now can I?
TV antenna - Yes I am still a rabbit ears kind of guy - No TV antenna, though honestly most of my TV watching, what little there is, is done on the laptop anyway.
Hockey tickets - No again, so I may have to pester my 7 Up rep for tickets again this year, though I have already been to one game, not susre he will be able to et me in to a second.
Sleep - Wow could I use this more regularly. Because of my short time home, the odd hours my folks were awake and all of the issues at wok recently, sleep has been as elusive as Bigfoot.
Vacation - This is also a no, but I probably have this covered from work. We normally get a paid vacation day for every company holiday we work, I worked two shifts on Christmas day (2 days) and a shift on New Years Day (1 day) plus my yearly weeks paid vacation is based on my hire date, which was in January, so I have 5 more paid days there.
Washington Post subscription - No, and sadly this one is harder to come by now than it was before, since many newspapers are abandoning their out of town papers entirely and going with digital copies. I can't even get the Post at work and we are techniccally still labeled as a newsstand.
Haircut (provided I don't do this before Christmas) - I did do this before Christmas, my hair had reached the unmanageable point so I took it upon myself to see that about 5 lbs of uselessness was lopped off my head.
Massage - Again a no, and if anyone is volunteering for this I would be most grateful because I was not home long enough to relax and when I came back to Pittsburgh my job was more stressing than when I left.
DVDs - The League (seasons 2 and beyond), Homicide: Life on the Street, West Wing (seasons 3 - 6) - Did not get any DVDs this year, this is one of those gifts that I rarely expect to get, I amm more into TV shows than movies and my mom is pretty unfamiliar with the shows I like to watch. She did get me two seasons of the West Wing a couple of years back, so now even if she was looking I imaagine she would be too afraid to buy anything for fear she had already got me it.
This list is kind of long, isn't it? - Yes it is, it is even longer when responding to it.
Toasted bagel with cream cheese - No bagels or cream cheese this year, in fact she has went from brewed coffee to instant, so while the home cooked dinners while I was there were awesome (ham pot pie, roast beef and potaoes) we would have to say the breakfasts took a step back.
Philly cheesesteak - A staple of the list on a yearly basis and it is one I never get, though even if I did I imagine I would eat it before next Christmas, so look for this to be back next year as well.
Bus pass (Port Authority Transit) - Another thing I did not get, and seeing as how the Port Authority is transitioning from paper (bus passes and tickets) to an automated card system, she would need my bus bpass to add either money or another pass to it, and well, I need my card to get to and from work every day so it never leaves my wallet.
A stress free day at work - *Laughs maniacally* - Next!!!!
Food rewards points or Swagbucks- No but the Foodservice rewards are actually points attached to cases of product at work, vendors are more likely to get these than your average everyday customer and I am not sure how one would transfer Swagbucks from one person to another, so these are pretty much impossible gifts to get, but when making a list of things I would like, the impossible is always going to be there.
Sheets (especially if I get the mail order wife from the top of the list) _ I did get a new set of sheets for my bed, I just have not put them on the bed yet. Maybe some day when I am not busy laying around in the pajama bottoms.
Books – This is where the list will
get complicated with a sublist - I will not go through each and every book on this list simply because I didn't get any books. Again I think this is one of those things that might be a little too complicated for my mom, I am not even sure there are any good bookstores in Indiana, PA and I can forget about Amazon, my mom hasn't figured out email yet. Her computer savvy goes as far as playing on Pogo.com, an account I originally set up for her like 6 years ago.
Boxers - Yes, 11 pairs of them actually and when I am not lounging in my pajama pants in my apartment, chances are I am lounging in boxers. What can I say, pants are so passe. Don't believe me, just remember I was living in a basement before that was cool too, some day you will find nobody wears pants anymore either.
Belt (36 waist) - I did get a belt which is awesome, I have some pants that are bigger than my 36 waist (I used to be a 38 but I shed some of that winter fat) and my last belt broke from wear and tear, so I can either have a bunch of fat pants or have a belt. A belt is a much better solution.
Some delicious soft shell tacos - No tacos, but again we go back to a story I told once before. I had made a trip home, I think at the time there was a family reunion coming up or some such thing and my mom made mention of a new Mexican restaurant that had opened up. Apparently it was all the rage for the people of the great town of Indiana and she wanted to know if I would like to go there for dinner one night. I said sure, because I am always up for trying new places and I like Mexican food. So we go, the waiter takes our drink order, comes back and takes our dinner order. I ordered enchiladas or burritos or something, and he asks my mom what she wants and she says "chicken fingers". Suffice it to say, she is not the most adventurous of foodies, so the chance of me getting Mexican food (I have never known her to make it) is pretty slim. At least I didn't get chicken fingers.
Case of Red Stripe - I did get this, which is a surprise. I believe this was my first ever alcohol related Christmas gift. Usually gifts that are vices or bad for you (see the next entry) are never under the tree Christmas morning, so a case of Red Stripe was a pleasant surprise.
Cigarettes (Marlboro Gold Box, Camel
Blue Box, Dunhill) - See above entry
Lottery tickets (winners only please) - I probably got somewhere around $20 worth of tickets, I won $13 dollars so I guess I can't complain.
Shampoo (you can never have enough
shampoo) - Two bottles were in my stocking. This is another of those necessity items that I appreciate more than you know, because usually even when I need shampoo, by the time I get to the store, buy all of the things I need and check out, I realize I have forgot to buy shampoo, so at least now I can rest easy in my Alzheimer's state for a month or so.
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